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About Anopheles, cont.:

Bionomics
Anopheles larvae are adapted to a variety of aquatic habitats, but occur predominantly in ground waters. Some species require aerated water, others brackish water, and some inhabit cavities such as tree-holes (Plumbeus Group, subgenus Anopheles) and the axils of epiphytic plants (subgenus Kerteszia, except for An. bambusicolus which inhabits bamboo). Specific habitats contain stagnant water or water which is slowed down by vegetation or objects in specific niches occupied by the larvae. The larvae of all species feed at the water surface, where they attach to the surface film by the spiracular apparatus, palmate setae, and special notched organs of the prothorax. They rotate the head 180° so that particles of food at the surface can be swept into the mouth by currents produced by the mouthbrushes. The larvae generally rest with the end of the abdomen against objects and are therefore found in greatest numbers in areas with emergent vegetation at the margins of the habitats. The adults of most anophelines are active at night (nocturnal) or during twilight periods (crepuscular), and rest in cool, damp places during the day. Blood-feeding is largely restricted to warm-blooded animals. Information on host specificity primarily pertains to those species which feed on humans and domestic animals. Females bite humans inside or outside houses. They normally fly no farther than 1 to 3 km from the larval habitats.

Medical Importance
Mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles are the sole vectors of human malarial parasites. Some species are effective vectors of microfilariae and some may be involved in the transmission of encephalitis viruses. Anopheles are vectors of numerous animal pathogens, including species of malaria protozoa which do not affect humans.

Cellia is the largest subgenus with all species occurring in the Old World. The subgenus is divided into six Series (Cellia, Neocellia, Myzomyia, Neomyzomyia, Paramyzomyia, and Pyretophorus). Each series contains vectors of malarial protozoa and microfilariae. The most important malaria vectors include An. arabiensis, An. funestus, An. gambiae, and An. moucheti in the Afrotropical Region; An. balabacensis, An. culicifacies, An. dirus, An. leucosphyrus, An. maculatus, An. minimus, An. fluviatilis, An. sundaicus, and An. superpictus in the Oriental Region; An. farauti and An. punctulatus in the Autralasian Region; An. sergentii and An. stephensi in the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent.

The subgenus Anopheles is also divided into six series, but only the Myzorhynchus and Anopheles Series contain vector species. Some primary vectors of historical and contemporary importance in the transmission of malarial protozoa include An. freeborni in western North America, An. sinensis in southeastern areas of the Palaearctic Region, An. atroparvus in Europe and eastern Asia, and An. pseudopunctipennis at higher elevations in Central and South America.

The subgenus Nyssorhynchus contains species which are variously distributed from Argentina to the southern USA. Anopheles albimanus, An. aquasalis, An. argyritarsis, An. darlingi, and An. nuneztovari are vectors of malarial protozoa. Anopheles albitarsis and An. aquasalis also transmit arboviruses, and some species also transmit Wuchereria bancrofti. 

The subgenus Kerteszia occurs in Central and South America. Six species are known to transmit malarial protozoa, but only An. bellator in Trinidad and An. cruzii in Brazil are important vectors. Anopheles bellator also transmits the helminths that cause Bancroftian filariasis.

The remaining subgenera, Stethomyia and Lophopodomyia, occur in the Neotropical Region. The species of these subgenera are not of medical importance to humans.